


You can't save me, baby (but please try)

by b074



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: A lot of longing stares, Dark Josie will happen, Dealing With Trauma, F/F, Facing their own darkness, Hizzie in the background, Jasie, Jasie slowburn, Penelope mention, Takes place after 2x14, angsty, confronting their past, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23556865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/b074/pseuds/b074
Summary: Jade believed she was broken beyond repair. How could someone love her with the past that she's had? Every day she was back at the Salvatore Boarding School, the further she fell into her own despair. She distanced herself from the world and anyone she could potentially harm. She lived in constant fear that with one wrong move she would snap and lose it all over again. She didn't believe in herself. But Josie Saltzman did. There was something about her pain the Josie couldn't quite shake. Josie wasn't one to give up and she wasn't about to start now.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman, Jade/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 27
Kudos: 90





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, fam! Guess who finally decided to start another full fic!! Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking either but this one had me up all night thinking about it quite literally so I thought I'd give it a shot. Now, before diving in, I do have to clear some things up for this to make sense so hang with me for a minute. The timeline in my story is a wee bit different from the canonical storyline but it basically picks up after episode 2x14. Jade being in the prison world, Josie getting them all out, and Jasie's first kiss is all sticking to the original timeline but after that, it shifts a bit. Instead of the simulation happening, there's going to be a bit of a "gap" period where Josie and Jade walk through Jade's first few days back at the school and then I'll touch on Dark Josie that happened in episodes 2x15 and 2x16 and then I'll be off on my own world once more! I hope that's not too complicated but I wanted to make sure y'all weren't confused when I start jumping from canonically and noncanonical events. Anyhow! This was a long AN so Imma let y'all go and enjoy the first part!
> 
> \- B

10 years, 3 months, and 5 days. That’s how long it had been since Jade had been back in the real world. The number of days she had been lost in her own mind which somehow seemed worse than the prison world itself. Nowhere to go and nothing to do. All Jade had left was the minuscule of joy she found tormenting her fellow prison mates day in and day out. And even that did nothing for her once she realized she was never leaving that place.

At first, it was exhilarating having her humanity off. All the guilt she had felt was gone. All the shame, didn’t have to worry about that either. Best of all, she didn’t have to constantly fight the urge of her hunger anymore.

Upon her arrival in the prison world, her hunger took over immediately. She ran all over town ransacking the place for blood and even after sucking each blood bag dry, she found herself hungry. That’s when she realized that the hunger was never going to be satisfied and she was cursed to it forever.

Without her emotions, the companionship of her friends no longer meant anything to her. They were just another prison mate in their eternal doom. And when they discovered Kai it was fun and games at first but that too became a bore eventually.

What they don’t tell you about turning off your humanity was that you can still hear the humming of the emotions you turned off in the back of your mind. They never truly go away and Jade had to learn that the hard way. With every kill and hunt, the whispers became louder. Her humanity was what made her and without it, her brain didn’t know how to function.

Acting on her deepest desires and impulses wouldn’t do it for her so one day she almost did it. She sat in a silent room waiting to be hunted on the verge of flipping it back on, letting it all flood back in when she was interrupted. She would have done it if it wasn’t for Kai who burst in and killed her before she had a chance to. And since that day the whispers dimmed again. This was, until she ran into Josie Saltzman.

When she rounded the corner of the common area of the Salvatore house it only took one glance for her to become fixated on the girl standing in front of her. It was a new face and she didn’t recognize who she was, at least not 'till she informally introduced herself.

There was a look on Josie’s face that bubbled something within her. The look of innocence, untouched by darkness and yet to be broken. It was tempting to go after her. She was fresh meat, which was a first in over a decade. But there was also a voice in the back of her mind that kept telling her not to hurt her. Even at the peak of her hunger, she hesitated. None of this was explainable until after her humanity was turned back on.

*

The events of the past two days played through Josie’s mind as she remembered every encounter she had with the vampire since she entered the prison world.

When she first saw her, standing across the room from her she recognized the face but not the person wearing it. The vampire that stood before her was cold and thirst driven. Willing to do anything to satisfy that hunger of hers. Even with her fangs bare in front of her Josie, however, wasn’t scared. Somehow, she knew Jade could never truly hurt her. Actually, she believed that she couldn’t hurt her.

There was a moment of silence where Josie got a chance to look into the older girl’s eyes. She could see it, the pain that was buried deep inside but she had no idea what the vampire was really hiding. Little did she know that the days to come would unravel her secrets one at a time.

It first started when Jade told her side of the story to her father in the darkened karaoke room. Her words were sharp and callous but the experience, the way she described it, was much more than that.

It was hard for Josie to imagine Jade alone and afraid. To see her trembling with the fear, knowing what she had done. The girl who carried herself with such power had a soft spot too. Much like her, it was her heart.

The same heart that got Jade to turn off her humanity was the one to bring her back, that was, with the help of Josie of course.

*

The first few days back all blurred together with one standing out in particular. It was the first night Jade and the girls were spending in the Old Mill. Josie had come by to seal them into their new “prison” (Alaric insisted it wasn’t one but everything about it screamed otherwise) and Jade couldn’t help herself but strike a small conversation with the younger girl.

The words exchanged were few and short but still worth taking the chance. Jade didn’t think Josie would even want to talk to her after the events that had occurred but in reality, it was the complete opposite. The younger girl was more than eager to share a moment with the vampire, just unsure of how.

The night didn’t end there.

After building up the courage to, Josie found herself sitting beside the blonde, tempted to wake her. Only after seconds of thinking, she gave into her own temptation and in that moment, they shared a kiss.

Either was unsure whether it was a dream or reality but both found themselves hungover on the feeling it left them with. The taste of strawberry chapstick that lingered on Josie’s lips while Jade’s, well Jade’s was simply just soft and was the definition of momentary bliss.

Although the night was sweet and vulnerable it went unspoken about for days to follow. Neither knew how to approach it and Jade specifically didn’t know what any of it meant.


	2. Chapter 1: Who am I to fall in love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yippee! Chapter 1 is up this fast? Yeah, don't get too used to it but I thought since the last one wasn't really a chapter I'd treat you all with this one. I hope y'all enjoy and let the slowburn begin!
> 
> \- B

After lying in bed for hours the young vamp turned her head to face the window to find the sun was already up. This was the fifth day in a row that Jade had lost sleep due to nightmares. She would close her eyes and it all came back in flashes. Starting from the night she first turned off her humanity to the day she almost killed the Saltzmans.

Every night was the same but each dream came in different renditions. Sometimes it was her hunting down her prey with blood-stained hands and other times it was her sprinting down empty corridors, watching her back with every step in fear of being impaled in the heart again.

This was what her life had become now. Living in constant self-torment not being able to talk about it. Everyone here was still just a kid, nowhere near the level of brokenness she was so who could she talk to? On top of that, no one cared to ask how she was and that’s something she had to just accept.

Finally, Jade looked around her fully furnished room when her eyes landed on her roommate still asleep since the last time she’d checked. The transition wasn’t any easier for Wendy but she seemed to be taking it a lot better than Jade was. She had a suspicion that there was some herbal remedy the witch was taking to help her sleep but she wasn’t here to judge.

The first week they returned to the real world was rough. They had to go through several psychological evaluations to decide if they were fit to stay, conducted by Emma and in the meantime were expected to sleep in the Old Mill for the safety of the school. Those seven days were isolating but a different type of isolation. It wasn’t like the cold dark loneliness the prison world left her feeling at the end of each day. It was like watching the world pass you by while standing on the outside. Quite literally.

Everyone was hesitant to interact with them when they were inside the school nor did anyone dare to come near the Old Mill, that was, everyone except Josie.

The young siphon would come by regularly to bring the girls their meals and “check” on the spell that bound the students to the abandoned building. All she had to do was leave the trays of food outside the door and leave but she always lingered a bit longer than necessary.

Jade never complained about this extra company. Josie felt like her connection to the real world. The younger girl was quiet for the most part but when she did speak her words were delicate and filled the room with a warmth she couldn’t describe. It was a feeling she had been longing for years and now finally somehow managed to get.

Now, Wendy and Jade were finally given a room at the school and allowed back. Today was their first day back in class and the blonde had no idea how she was going to get through the day. For starters, she didn’t even know where half her classes were. Everything had changed since she was last here and obviously no one wanted to make time out of their day to show them around.

It was as if on cue when a gentle knock at the door caught Jade’s attention.

Her eyes darted to the clock sitting on her desk before getting the door. It was only 7 in the morning so there was no reason for anyone to be looking for her. Jade’s steps to the door were slow and while she made her way over she tapped into her vamp hearing. She heard a slow but steady breathing coming from the other side of the door. Oddly enough it was a familiar breathing pattern.

Finally realizing who it was, Jade pulled the door open and sure enough, Josie Saltzman stood in front of her with the biggest smile plastered across her face.

She was wearing what appeared to be her own version of the Salvatore uniform. It was full of color just like her personality. A slim fit yellow shirt hugged her form, matched with the classic Salvatore School blue plaid skirt, which too was tailored to the girl’s liking. All of this was topped off with a deep navy blazer that was rolled to her mid-forearm and the signature school crest pinned to her chest.

The blazer caught Jade off guard momentarily, oddly enough reminding her of the night when she went out to meet Inez. She was wearing a navy coat that night that resembled the blazer Josie was sporting. She must’ve fallen deep into her thoughts because the next thing she knew, a warm hand was placed on her arm getting her attention.

“Jade?” The siphon’s voice brought the older girl back to reality. “Are you okay?” The words were genuine. Unlike the ones that were asked by students passing by because they were told to ask.

Jade’s eyes glossed over one last time at the attempt to shake the old memory away. When she finally felt confident that her voice wouldn’t waiver she broke the silence. “Uh, yeah,” her eyes flickered down to her now trembling hands which she quickly stuffed into her back pockets to hide. “The blazer looks nice on you.” She lifted her gaze to meet Josie's eyes once more. The smile that grew on the vampire’s face was soft.

Josie’s cheeks tinted in a light pink tone at the compliment. Something about being noticed by the vampire stirred a new feeling in her stomach.

“Thanks,” she responded shyly unsure of what else to say.

Another wave of silence washed over the two until Josie realized that she should probably explain her presence.

“I uh, figured you might want to be shown around for the first day that’s why I’m here.” This sentiment warmed Jade’s heart. Amid everyone avoiding her this girl went out of her way to make this place like home for her again.

Josie stood still with a doe-eyed look waiting for a response. Her sister had insisted that she should stay away from the prison world rescues but there was something about Jade that Josie felt constantly drawn to. Maybe it was the pain or maybe it was just the simple glow of Jade’s faded blue eyes when the daylight hit at just the right angle but Josie couldn’t stay away.

“That would actually be nice.” The corner of Jade’s mouth rose, forming a half-smile.

Internally, Josie was beaming but not wanting to show just how eager she was she settled on a simple, “perfect!” in response.

“I know I’m here a bit early but I wanted to catch you before you left your room. But I can meet you in the dining hall for breakfast whenever you’re done getting ready.” Jade found herself staring, again. There it was again. The energy radiating from Josie that initially caught her attention and continues to keep her enamored.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Jade tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I shouldn’t be long. You know, with vamp speed and all.” She felt a bit stupid, pointing out the obvious but there was something about Josie’s presence that made her nervous. The siphon let out a light laugh knowing well the supernatural advantage the vampire had.

“I’ll see you in a bit then.” Josie flashed one last smile before she started walking away.

“See you in a bit!” Jade called out before closing the door.

“You suck at flirting you know.” Jade spun around on her heels at the sound of her roommate’s voice. She was facing Wendy’s bed when the witch sat up to a sitting position.

“Well good thing I wasn’t trying to flirt then.” The vampire nonchalantly responded, walking over to her dresser to change in hopes to avoid whatever conversation there was to come. 

“You were totally trying to flirt. And failing miserably at that.” Wendy continued to poke at her best friend.

With her back still turned towards the brunette Jade responded, “what are you trying to get at Wendy?” She wasn’t aggravated. If anything, she was curious to know what her roommate perceived her previous interaction with the young witch to be.

“A. Josie is definitely crushing on you,” this peaked Jade’s interest. “And B. you’re not innocent as well.” That’s when Jade stopped stifling through her clothes. She didn’t know how to react to Wendy’s comment. She wasn’t completely wrong but Jade also had no idea what she was feeling.

Finally, she turned around, pushing her dresser closed once more. “I don’t have a crush on Josie.” Jade half lied.

“Well, you’re feeling something.” The older witch quirked a brow. “And you better figure it out before that kiddo is completely smitten for you and you realize you have to break her heart.” Wendy was right. If Jade didn’t sort out her feelings she could potentially hurt Josie and that’s the last thing she wanted.

*

After her short conversation with Wendy, Jade finally finished getting ready for the day. It took her a second to mentally prepare herself to leave her bedroom but she was able to convince herself, knowing she would be seeing Josie again in a few minutes.

She felt out of place with each step she took down the halls. The building was the same from the prison world but everything was much more colorful and so full of life. Little kids were running down each hall chasing each other while groups of teenage girls were conversing with each other in the corners.

She had missed this. All of it. But she wasn’t quite sure if she belonged anymore. At least she had yet to convince herself of it.

After her slow journey to the dining hall, the vampire reluctantly walked up to the doorframe. She immediately scanned the room in hopes to find the young brunette and sure enough, Josie was standing in the middle of the room talking and laughing with a group of her friends.

Not wanting to interrupt her, Jade chose to wait by the door, not knowing how long she would have to wait but it seemed like the better option than walking into the full room of supernatural strangers.

Jade took this opportunity to examine Josie. The way she carried herself now was much different from when they had met in the prison world. She seemed happy and light. There was so much joy in the younger girl’s life and it was obvious she fit perfectly into it. That’s when she realized she really had no place in this life and the feeling of wanting to run kicked in again.

She was about to leave when she heard someone call out her name.

“Jade!” She turned to see Josie shuffling toward her. She was holding a book in one hand and what seemed like a disposable cup in the other.

When Josie made it across the dining hall and was now only a couple of feet across from Jade she stopped and stared. The older girl looked beautiful. She was wearing a simple school-issued black button-up shirt that hung loose in the back and was tucked in at the front. Her pants were a dark washed-out blue that matched the color of her eyes.

Jade noticed the younger’s stare and couldn’t help but laugh to herself. “Hey Joze,” Jade smiled faintly, hoping Josie didn’t notice her trying to walk away only moments ago.

“You must be hungry. Here,” the younger girl stuck out her hand that was holding the cup. When Jade realized it was for her she took it.

“Thanks,” she slowly brought the straw to her lips, taking a sip from the drink. When the liquid trickled down her throat she realized just how much she had been resisting her hunger. The contents of the cup definitely didn’t taste anything like human blood, the only type she had been drinking for the past 10 years, but it was better than starving.

Josie watched as the vampire downed the whole cup in a matter of seconds. She had heard stories about the hunger and how bad it could get. There would be days where MG would barely make it through the night without having consumed a decent about of blood bags from the kitchen.

“There’s more where that came from if you’re still hungry.” Josie stated when she noticed the cup was already emptied.

“Uh, thanks, but I think I’ll be good for now.” Jade was slightly embarrassed that she let her thirst get the best of her. She knew it was an unpleasant sight to see and Josie didn’t need to witness her get all blood crazy.

After their quick breakfast exchange, the two went about their day, Jade being escorted to all her classes and Josie waiting for her at the end of each one, ready to take her to the next.

When her last class of the day was dismissed Jade walked out to be met by now the regular presence of the siphon witch.

“How was class?” Josie inquired as they walked down the hall.

“Mr. Williams is as enthusiastic about mythical creatures as I remember him to be.” The vampire let out a short chuckle at the fond memories of when Dorian first started teaching classes at the Salvatore Boarding School.

“Haha, Dorian definitely has a knack for knowing obscure mystical historic facts.” Josie nodded in agreement. There was nothing that man didn’t know and if for some reason he didn’t he would spend hours on end in the library researching it.

Their small talk continued as they walked the rest of the way to Jade’s room. When they arrived, Jade stopped and awkwardly shoved both her hands into her pockets.

“So, this is my stop.” She gently rocked on the balls of her feet.

Josie laughed at the once again dorky comment made by Jade. “I know,” Josie grinned. The flustered look that appeared of the vampire’s face only made her smile grow even bigger. Jade was a powerful creature yet could be so soft, just like now.

“Thank you for everything,” Jade leaned back into the door, wanting their interaction to last a bit longer.

“Of course. I’m really glad I could help.” One thing that didn’t waiver all day was Josie’s confidence. This was something that left Jade full of questions. How was it that she was here stumbling over words, cheeks flushing bright red at stupid comments while Josie seemed self-assured in everything she did.

With nothing else left to say Josie turned away to walk to her bedroom. A few steps in she stopped and looked at Jade one last time. “It’ll get easier. I promise.” With that, the young siphon walked away disappearing down the hall.

Those few words were the most reassuring things she had heard since her return. At the start of the day she was itching to be out of here, not knowing her place at the school anymore but now she felt like she belonged. And it was all thanks to Josie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who may be wondering, the kiss will be addressed. Just not yet. I didn't forget about and we're not acting like it didn't happen but it just didn't fit into this chapter so just hang in there for a bit.
> 
> \- B


	3. Chapter 2: Let's go dancing in the moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, another 2k+ word update in less than 24 hours? I'm really on a roll here. I'm just glad I have this much motivation to write a multichapter fic again. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter and if you could, maybe give the end AN a look before leaving?
> 
> \- B

The week flew by for everyone except Josie. After the first day of showing Jade around, there wasn’t much need for her so Josie decided to give her some space, even though that’s the last thing she wanted to do. Since they were technically in different grades and different factions there was minimal overlap between their days. The only times she saw glimpses of the girl were during mealtimes and that too was rare because Jade would typically take her meals to go and disappear into her room.

With the week finally coming to an end some of the witches decided to throw one of their infamous backwoods party which was a must for the Saltzman twins to attend. Lizzie was typically the life of the party and well, Josie had to make sure her sister wasn’t getting too drunk.

Josie was tempted to send an invite to Jade but she knew that the vampire wasn’t quite comfortable with large crowds yet and she didn’t want to push her. Since Wendy would be in on the party intel she figured she would be able to convince her best friend to come if she couldn’t.

When the sun set everyone made their way toward the woods to start setting up for the night. Josie took this time to change into her evening outfit which consisted of a black mini skirt and a plain white t-shirt and a leather jacket. This look was edgier than usual but a night party always brought a different side of Josie and she wasn’t afraid to show it.

The siphon stood in front of her full body mirror to examine her outfit. She was content with what she saw.

“Hope and I are heading out now. You better not show up hella late again.” Josie turned her attention quickly enough to the door to watch her sister pop in and out. Before she had a chance to respond Lizzie was long gone and she was left alone in the middle of her room again.

She took one more glance at herself before making her way toward the door. As she traveled the short distance, she felt a surge of energy run through her body. Not thinking much of it she shook it off and left to join her friends.

*

It was well into the night and the sun had completely set at this point. There was music blasting, vampires breaking out into dance moves, wolves showing off their parkour tricks, and witches playing around with their magic. It was essentially a typical teenager’s party with just a touch of supernatural elements to it.

With a drink in hand, Josie’s eyes roamed through the group of kids gathered.

“She’s not here you know.” Lizzie walked over to her sister and leaned against a tree standing between them. Josie chose to ignore her sister’s comment. “I don’t get what you see in her anyway,” The blonde continued. “She hunted dad and almost killed you. Isn’t she supposed to be dangerous or something?” Finally, Josie turned her attention to the blonde.

“She’s not like that anymore.” She blatantly stated. Her words came out sharper than intended but she didn't regret saying them. Lizzie was taken back by the sudden change in Josie’s posture. She wasn’t one to typically become defensive that quickly. “If people just gave her a shot they’d be able to get to know the real her.” She too didn’t know much about the older girl but it was obvious there was more to her than she led on and people needed to see her for who she really was. A kind soul that just wants good in the world just like her.

“Geez, didn’t mean to step on your lovestruck toes.” Lizzie slowly backed down, still adding her usual bit of tease at the end. This too Josie chose to ignore.

“Babe, I told you to leave your sister alone.” Hope joined the twins, gently grabbing ahold of her girlfriend’s arm. “I’m sorry, she disappeared and you know how that always ends up.” The tribrid apologized on the behalf of the blonde. Josie gave her a knowing look, having spent her whole life looking after her twin.

“Let’s go.” Hope tugged Lizzie in the opposite direction. “And I’m taking this now.” The younger girl grumbled when her red solo cup was taken away from her and handed to a nearby wolf.

Josie was once again left to her own thoughts and when she looked up, to her surprise her eyes were met with ones she didn’t expect to see that night.

Jade was standing across the woods with Wendy by her side who already appeared distracted by the new friends she made earlier that week. Their gaze locked momentarily, both scared to move and break eye contact, however, Josie made the first move. Just like she had been all week.

Even in the dark, Jade stood out. She was wearing a classic black jean, and black turtle neck combo but damn, it was those eyes. No matter where she was and how dimmed the place was, her eyes stood out like a star in the sky.

On her way over Josie picked up a drink from the vampires. It was a special concoction made by MG where they mixed a blood bag with a hint of whiskey and this special witch herb that gave whoever took it a slight buzz.

“I didn’t think you’d actually show up.” Josie teased, approaching the vampire. She handed her the drink which Jade happily accepted. She took a heavy swing, gulping down more than she wanted and the mix of the remedies hit her hard. She let the contents of the drinks settle down before responding.

“I didn’t think either but Wendy can get pretty persuasive, Jade smirked, earning a quirked brow from the siphon. “She basically threatened to burn my belongings if I didn’t come.” Josie burst out into laughter when she heard the older witch’s plan. A burning room incident had occurred one too many times at the Salvatore Boarding School already. The thought of it happening again was just humorous to the girl.

“I’m assuming joining the dread of this god-awful party seemed like a better choice than getting your stuff burned?” Jade smiled at Josie’s tease.

“Oh yeah,” she playfully furrowed her brows. “I’ve been burned by Wendy before and she doesn’t mess around when she plays with fire.” This comment was meant to be lighthearted but Josie couldn’t help but frown. She knew that the things Jade had experienced in the prison world were some of her worst times and she didn’t get how she could be joking about it.

Jade saw the change in expression and realized the younger girl wasn’t expecting her to bring up her past so nonchalantly. “Ease up Joze, it’s okay.” Jade placed a reassuring hand on the siphon’s arm, somehow ending up being the one consoling her.

“I’m sorry,” Josie shamefully apologized. “It just couldn’t have been easy for you.” The younger girl explained herself. Jade appreciated the thought but she didn’t want Josie to carry the burden of her pain so she tried her best to distract her.

“Hey, what happened happened and now my new hell is being dragged to a supernatural backwoods party where I’m surrounded by drunk horny teenage boys.” The vampire joked in hopes to lighten the mood.

This got Josie to crack a smile. “Yeah, and they’re just getting started. Trust me.” The siphon warned her friend. She was feeling more comfortable with the situation again. It would be silly of her to pry into emotions that Jade didn’t feel the need to address in the moment.

“Dually noted.” Jade gave a single nod, her loose locks falling off her shoulders as she did. If she was being honest, she was enjoying this. It was nice to be in the company of fellow vampires, witches, and werewolves. She still felt out of place considering where she was coming from but everyone here had a story and, in this moment, they were all just teenagers looking to have a bit of fun.

“I’m glad you came,” Josie’s shoulders fell once more, relaxing back to its previous composure.

“Me too,” Jade smiled but this time it was different. It was a smile that gave away more than it intended to. Josie didn’t need to know she came because she couldn’t stop thinking about the girl all week yet this one simple smile seemed to speak for her.

The music around them started to crank up and Josie’s face brightened. “I love this song!” The younger girl grabbed Jade’s hand, pulling her onto the dance floor. The elements from her drink must’ve finally kicked in because never in a million years would Jade have voluntarily chosen to dance but at this point, she was willing to do anything to humor the witch.

In the time Josie got both of them in the dance party, their hands were empty of their drinks and somehow intertwined with each other's. Josie never allowed herself to get anywhere near tipsy with being on Lizzie watch but recently Hope had taken over so tonight, she found her body feeling lighter than a feather, finally understanding the feeling everyone’s always chasing.

She couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol working its magic or the way their bodies fit together like two lost puzzle pieces but the siphon felt a new wave of confidence wash over her.

Not being much of a dancer, Jade’s moves were slow and limited. Josie, on the other hand, was losing herself to the moment.

There were a lot of people crammed in the tiny spotlight of the designated dance area but neither girls were complaining. Slowly but surely, their bodies ended up pressed up against each other, close enough that Jade could feel Josie’s warm breath breathing down her neck.

This got her pulse racing but luckily she was the one with super hearing or else she would've been caught guilty quite quickly. Trying to set her intrusive feelings aside, Jade let herself ease into the moment as well.

As the music slowed their movement turned into lazy sways, rocking back and forth, in sync to one another. Halfway through the second song, Jade felt a delicate arm wrap her body. The touch was familiar. Much like the night they had kissed. Or what Jade believed to have been a real kiss. Right before it all happened the vampire was stirred awake by the same hands that were now holding her waist.

“About the other week,” Josie leaned down and spoke into the older girl’s ear. It was as if the young witch was reading her mind. “I’m not sure what happened but,” that’s where Jade had to stop her.

This was the only confirmation she needed to know that what she remembered wasn’t a hallucination. And now realizing it was a realistic event, it was hitting her hard. She couldn’t do this. Not now and maybe not ever.

“Joze,” Jade pulled away, putting distance between herself and the siphon. If they stood any closer she would lose control and give in to her own impulses and right now she couldn’t afford to do that.

Josie’s eyes sulked, not appreciating this newfound space between them. She thought things were going well. They were having fun and it felt so right holding Jade that close to herself.

“Am I wrong?” Josie probed.

Jade knew exactly what the girl was asking. It was a loaded question that she wasn’t ready to answer let alone know how to answer.

This was fun, getting to be a teen again and slowly taking down the walls she had put up for once but it was too much. She put herself out there more than she had liked and now they were entering into dangerous waters. Jade wanted to be back, wanted to be a student and finish out her academic career at the Salvatore Boarding School but she couldn’t do that and be this close to Josie Saltzman.

“It’s getting late,” the older dodged the question. “I should probably go.” This wasn’t a suggestion or a request to be asked to stay.

Before Josie could respond, Jade sped out of the woods.

Josie stood there speechless. The thoughts that ran through her head were self-agonizing. An echoing of self-blame, convincing herself this was all her fault, that she pushed Jade too far and now she was gone. All the energy and confidence that she had earlier were now flushed out of her system, the only thing left being the depressive wallow that followed intoxication.

*

The vampire stood in front of the front doors of the school, catching her breath. Not actually needing air to fill her lungs but to feel something other than the emotions running their course. Everything about the past hour was loud but now, she was left to her own thoughts and the quiet croaks of the crickets.

After gathering herself once more, Jade walked the empty halls to her room. When she walked in she fell onto her bed, still fully clothed. She could feel the buzz of whiskey and witch herbs she had consumed that night coursing through her veins. It created a warm bubbling feeling in her stomach, something she hadn’t felt since a few nights ago. The night Josie Saltzman kissed her.

Jade’s hand found its way to her lips at the memory of the night. She could feel the lingering sensation of the younger girl’s lips on her own.

She remembered the night vividly. The moon shined bright above the Old Mill even at its premature form while leaves rustled gently as the late-night wind made its presence known.

She had put her guard down, not worrying about what she was risking. In that moment, she was just another vulnerable girl who was in the presence of someone who wanted to be around her. Who wanted her. The moment was good but it was long passed now.

Tonight was the first time either of them spoke of it since. A part of her was itching to know where Josie stood but fear also crept in. All the what-ifs and maybes with what Josie could say was something she didn’t want to face.

They were never supposed to meet again. At least not like this. And now the vampire was lost. This wasn’t supposed to be happening.

She wasn’t ready to admit to anything she was feeling because that too would pass. Or so she hoped because it had to. She was too broken to commit to anything new. Broken beyond repair if she dares say. And most of all, she was scared. Terrified that she would ruin the one good thing left in her world. Josie Saltzman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Yes, this is going to be a proper slowburn. No, you most likely will not enjoy the angst but I most definitely will lmao. I just wanted to ask a quick question to y'all readers if that's okay with y'all. I've gotten mixed reactions about Jasie recently (and I'm assuming y'all are Jasie fans if you're reading this) but how are you guys feeling about this fic so far? Like, honestly. With my Hosie and Hizzie ones I have a bit more to work with typically and know my audience a lot more but this is a whole new relationship and subfandom I'm entering into so if you could leave a quick comment down below on your thoughts it would be much appreciated!
> 
> \- B


	4. Chapter 3: Not to be seen or heard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this update seems so late in comparison to the 3 back to back updates I gave y'all but I honestly spoiled you guys too much from the beginning. Unfortunately, this will probably be the more regular updating schedule with 2 major papers coming up with school but enough about me, enjoy!
> 
> \- B

“Hey Jade,” Dorian called out to the vampire, stopping her in her tracks. Class had just dismissed and all the students were shuffling out of the classroom but Jade turned around to face her teacher. “I just wanted to touch base with you on a couple of things regarding your class progress.”

This concerned Jade. She knew that she was falling a bit behind with the change in the curriculum since she was last here but she didn’t think it would be anything concerning.

“You don’t have to worry, it’s nothing bad” Dorian reassured the girl, reading the weary look in her eyes. “I just wanted to make sure you were getting all the support you needed to be integrated back into the school.” He leaned back onto his desk, casually placing his hands by his side. “We actually started a new program a few years back for students who were new recruits partly through the school year. It’s basically a peer mentoring program where students here help new kids like you get familiar with the place.”

Eventually Jade caught on and she wasn’t sure if she was liking where this was going. “I understand that this transition can’t be easy for you and to have to keep up with school work is no easy feat,” Dorian gave her a knowing look. “So, for our upcoming paper, I wanted you to utilize this tool.” Jade was hesitant to agree which her teacher noticed. “Just give it a shot and if it’s not the right fit then that’s okay. At least this way you can say you gave it a try.” The girl took a moment to give it a thought.

Jade spent her time outside of her classroom hidden away in her room as much as possible, avoiding contact with as many people as possible. A part of her was scared that she could hurt someone but it was also obvious that she wasn’t welcome here, at least not by the students. The things she had done caught on like wildfire the moment she returned and every time she stepped out of her room she was met with whispers and odd glances. Choosing to go to these study sessions sounded like they would only put her more in social situations but it also didn’t sound like she had much of an option.

“I’ll check it out this week.” Jade finally responded, smiling faintly.

Dorian had done a lot to make her accommodations welcoming and the least she could do was not fight him on something that was only meant to benefit her.

“Great!” Dorian’s face lit up. “They usually meet in the library from 4-6 pm Monday, Wednesday, Fridays. They rotate through the peer mentor every day so I’m not sure who you’ll end up with but they’ve all been great.” He reassured the girl one more time.

“Okay, great.” A single nod is all Jade managed to give.

After their brief conversation, Jade was dismissed. She made a quick stop at the dining hall to pick up her dinner and took a beeline straight to her room after.

*

Josie sat in the far corner of the library reading a book, Hope keeping her company all the while.

The older girl constantly snuck a glance up from her book to peek over at her best friend thinking she was being subtle, which wasn’t the case.

“What?” Josie questioned, eyes still focused on the book in front of her.

The tribrid finally set her own book down on her lap and inched closer to the edge of her seat.

“You really haven’t talked to her since the party?” The Mikaelson witch pried.

This caught Josie’s attention. Her reading haltered before she responded, “I said I wasn’t talking about this anymore,” and she was back to reading her book.

Even with this hostile answer, Hope didn’t give up. “C’mon Jo, you’re gonna have to talk about it sometime.” She continued. “I’m your best friend and best friends are supposed to tell each other everything.” Josie breathed out a laugh at this cheesy comment.

Hope wasn’t one to usually be all mushy about stuff like this but ever since they became close she had slowly let down her walls. It first started with Josie and eventually extended to Lizzie which of course led to them dating. Josie was happy with this little arrangement because never did she think that her best friend and twin sister would get along let alone go out but this was more than she could ask for.

“What am I supposed to do?” The young siphon finally gave in, a defeated sigh escaping her body. “She made it obvious that she didn’t want to talk about it so why would I push her to?” This was a genuine question. As much as she wanted to know what Jade was thinking she didn’t think it was for her to know and she could respect that.

“You’re the type of person to always back down, never wanting to step on anyone’s toes but your feelings matter too Jo,” Hope placed a hand on her friend’s knee.

Josie looked down, frustrated with all of this. She thought dealing with confusing feelings was in her past but she was greatly wrong.

“I don’t know. When would I even talk to her? She’s never around and I can’t just show up at her room.” Josie’s mouth fell to a pout, her signature expression she displayed when she was utterly unaware of what to do.

“How about now?” The siphon looked up, confused. She watched Hope nudge her head toward the direction of the door and followed it, her gaze falling on the girl standing awkwardly by a shelf of books.

Jade had a bookbag slung over her shoulder and the sleeves of her sweater covered her hands. They appeared to be wrung tight around her fingers, obviously expressing some anxiety about being out here. Josie stared attentively to see what Jade was doing here. Instead of looking around the room, the vampire set her eyes directly forward and started walking, completely missing Josie’s presence a few feet away.

Josie was tempted to take her friend’s advice but she knew that Jade wouldn’t want to talk about this. Not here at least so she decided to remain sitting.

“I promise I’ll talk to her,” Josie turned back to face Hope. “Just not right now.” This wasn’t what the older girl was going for but it was a bigger win than she expected so she finally let the conversation drop.

Instead of approaching the girl she oh so wanted to talk to, Josie just trailed her movements with her eyes, watching her walk over to a table of students who were all working together.

“Hi,” Jade reluctantly leaned over to a kid sitting at the biggest table in the room. It was a young girl, maybe 10 or 12 and she was working her math homework. She turned and looked up at Jade, who was trying her best to keep her distance. She must’ve not recognized her because she was looking at her with a welcoming look.

“I was looking for the peer mentoring group. Do you happen to know who the mentor is?” Before the kid had a chance to respond, Jade got her answer.

“You have got to be kidding me, right?” The vampire looked up and saw Lizzie Saltzman standing in front of her.

She stared for a moment until the dots connected. Lizzie was supposed to be her peer mentor.

Every inch of Jade’s body screamed for her to leave right this moment but she promised Dorian that would give it a shot and leaving now would only make her look bad.

“Hey, Lizzie,” the already tight grip Jade had on her sweater sleeves got tighter. If anyone could see, they would find her knuckles turning white as they slowly lost circulation. “I--,” Jade wanted to explain herself but was quickly interrupted.

“There’s no way this is happening.” Lizzie stubbornly shook her head, rejecting Jade.

Jade already didn’t want to be here but it wasn’t helping that the blonde siphon was making it nearly impossible for her to stay.

“Hey babe,” Hope quickly joined the two, placing a tender hand on the small of Lizzie’s back. “Remember what we said about playing nice?” The tribrid must’ve overheard their previous exchange seeing that she was coming for Jade’s defense.

Lizzie let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine,” she crossed her arms, making herself less welcoming than she already was. “You can sit over there,” she pointed to an empty seat on the furthest side of the table. “And try not to be so needy.” Jade nodded promptly and hastily made her way to her assigned seat.

Two hours. That’s all she had to endure and she could report back to Dorian and tell him that she tried and it wasn’t the right fit. Well, those two hours were probably the most horrible two hours of Jade’s life since being back.

Lizzie always had a comment to make, whether it was about her being a vampire or even alluding to events that occurred in the prison world. With each one, she bit her tongue and buried her head deeper in her books, not wanting to engage. It was obvious Lizzie was just saying things to say things and Jade knew she could easily fight back but it wasn’t worth it.

An hour and a half went by and the vampire managed to ignore all of Lizzie’s comment but one.

The older girl was fiddling with her pencil when it accidentally dropped on the floor. When she leaned down to pick it up she heard Lizzie mumble something under her breath and if it wasn’t for her enhanced hearing she wouldn’t have picked it up.

“Ugh, you make me miss Penelope Park.” This was a name she had never heard before. “She might’ve been a bitch but at least she knew how to carry herself.” Somehow this comment stuck in comparison to the rest.

Lizzie must've thought she went unheard because when she sat up she turned to her like nothing happened.

“You’re gonna need to find the encyclopedia on exotic creatures from the medieval period.” Lizzie flatly stated. This was the first thing she had said that was remotely close to actually helping Jade with her assignment.

With her lips sealed tight in a straight line, Jade nodded and stood up from her seat. She was more than glad to get away from the blonde for a bit. Over the years she had built a thick skin for herself but each word cut deeper and there was only so much even she could take.

The vampire took her time looking for the book, not especially in a hurry to return. After running her fingers across what felt like a thousand book spines she landed on the one she’d been looking for. She reached up to grab the book off the shelf, careful not the tear the already worn out binding. She held it in her hands and skimmed through the pages to double-check this was the one she was looking for. The last thing she needed was Lizzie yelling at her for getting the wrong book on top of all the other things she had to say.

“I’m sorry about Lizzie,” Jade’s head jerked up at the voice. She was so focused on the book she didn’t hear the younger girl approach her. Josie was standing a couple of feet from her holding a book in her hands. “I know she can be a bit,” she hesitated.

“Intrusive?” Jade finished on her behalf. They both laughed knowing well that the older girl wasn’t wrong.

Josie was watching Jade’s minimal interactions with her sister for the past hour and a half and it was painful knowing that Lizzie wasn’t going easy on her. When she saw Jade finally step away from the premise of her sister she took it as an opportunity to finally walk up to her.

“She’s,” Josie was careful about what she chose to say. “A lot. But it’s because she’s overprotective.” She tucked a loose strand of her own hair behind her ear, shyly looking away. “I hope she didn’t say anything too bad.” Her words were apologetic. Knowing that Lizzie had a hard time biting her tongue and Jade wasn’t one to say anything about it.

“Nothing in particular that bothered me.” Jade lied, faking her best smile. The mention of the mysterious girl definitely tugged at her the wrong way but now didn’t seem like the time to bring it up.

“Mystical creatures during the medieval time paper?” Josie leaned forward, peering at the headings of the book Jade was holding.

“Yeah, I have no idea what any of this is,” the vampire waved her spare hand around the book. “And Lizzie definitely doesn’t plan to help me.” Her shoulders slumped, admitting the inevitable truth.

“I could help you if you want.” The offer took Jade by surprise. “I mean, I took that class two years ago and got an A on my paper. I’m pretty sure I still have all my research somewhere in my room.” The corner of Jade’s lip formed a smirk. Of course Josie had gotten A. She didn’t expect anything less from her.

“That is if you want.” The siphon clarified when Jade didn’t respond right away. She didn’t want to overstep and this wasn’t supposed to imply anything more than helping a friend out.

“I think it would be stupid of me to reject the offer at this point.” Josie’s face perked up in excitement, trying not to make a big deal about this new arrangement.

“Okay great! I can look through my papers tonight and see if I can find anything.” The younger girl enthusiastically chirped. “When do you want to start?” She eagerly took it upon herself to finalize the plans.

“How about tomorrow after dinner? Better to get on this before Mr. William thinks I need any more peer assistance.” Jade poked fun at herself, enjoying the laughter that it brought out of Josie. It a delicate sound, one she could never get tired of.

“After dinner it is.” Josie proudly nodded her head, confirming her availability.

After that, a lingering silence came upon the two, neither knowing what else to say.

“Uh, I should probably get back to the study group before Lizzie thinks I died, not that she would probably care.” Jade lightly joked but immediately felt bad for because as much as the blonde was becoming a pain in her butt she didn’t want to insult her like that in front of her sister. “I’m sorry,” she was quick to apologize. “That wasn’t nice.” Her eyes fell to the ground, ashamed at herself for letting her frustrations get the best of her.

“It’s okay,” Josie reassured her, and meaning it at that. “I get that she can be a handful. Trust me, this is her on a good day, unfortunately.” The young witch laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

“Still, I shouldn’t have said that.” Jade continued to apologize, not used to being stuck up for.

“Jade,” being addressed by her name brought her eyes back to meet Josie’s. “You’re fine.” She smiled her typical warm smile that created unexplainable butterflies in the older girl’s stomach.

“Okay, well I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Jade closed the book and tucked it between her body and arm.

“Cya tomorrow.” Josie flashed one more grin before she watched Jade make her way back to the rest of the students working.

She was awfully proud of herself for finally getting the courage to talk to Jade and now she had an excuse to see her for at least a few more days. Now all she had to do was make sure she kept herself contained when she was around her.

**Author's Note:**

> What'd y'all think? I know there wasn't a lot of real Jasie interaction in this chapter but that was because it's a prologue and I really needed to tie up some loose ends before really starting! I'll try to update this fic pretty regularly since I have more than enough time on my hands the next few weeks so, stay tuned! Also, the chapters will be much longer than this one but like I said, it was just the prologue so we're just getting started here.
> 
> \- B


End file.
